John vs Patrick
John and Patrickcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #29 and Patrick #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Patrick #26 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, John was ranked #97 and Patrick #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Patrick #125 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, John was ranked #99 and Patrick #93 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Patrick #120 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Patrick #327 among boys in Norway.
John and Patrick over time
John and Patrick appear together in 6 published lists, across 319 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Patrick in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Patrick in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Patrick moved ahead of John in England and Wales · Boys — #118 and #120 the year before became #122 and #115.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
John and Patrick changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #67 and #26.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, John and Patrick averaged 20.8 places apart, ending at #164 and #120.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Patrick were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 66 years, from 1952 to 2019, ending at #97 and #72.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Patrick #66 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys70 shared years, 1948–2025
John held the stronger position in 63 of those years, Patrick in 7.
Highest recorded here: John #15 in 1963, Patrick #67 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Patrick #327.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys66 shared years, 1952–2019
John held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Patrick in 24.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1952, Patrick #30 in 1994.
The order changed in 1994: Patrick moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #31 and #35; by 1994 that had become #37 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2019: John #97, Patrick #72.
New Zealand · Boys64 shared years, 1954–2020
John held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Patrick in 3.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Patrick #45 in 1967.
The order changed in 2020: Patrick moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #76 and #100; by 2020 that had become #99 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2020: John #99, Patrick #93.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Patrick in 21.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Patrick #2 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Patrick #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Patrick in 8.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Patrick #66 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Patrick moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #118 and #120; by 2018 that had become #122 and #115.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Patrick #120.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Patrick in 22.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Patrick #18 in 2003.
The order changed in 2006: Patrick moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #22 and #23; by 2006 that had become #30 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Patrick #26.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | John | Patrick |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. | From Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Pádraig, Pádraic |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Patrick is recorded with a Latin origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Patrick.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Patrick's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives John a "medium" Data Confidence level and Patrick a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys